- 1 Claim and complete each profile
- 2 Spot moments of customer success
- 3 Ask every customer the same way
- 4 Reply to every review publicly
- 5 Use reviews on site and in sales
Review sites such as G2, Capterra and Trustpilot are where many buyers go to check whether a product lives up to its marketing. A strong presence means a complete profile, a steady flow of recent, honest reviews and visible replies from your team. It fits SaaS and B2B companies in categories where buyers compare several vendors, and D2C brands where shoppers want reassurance before ordering from a site they do not know.
Why it works
Reviews from other customers feel more trustworthy than claims on your own website. Buyers comparing similar products often shortlist the ones with more recent reviews and higher ratings, and review sites frequently rank well in search for “[product] reviews” and “[category] software” queries. If you do not manage your presence, those pages still exist, just with old or unrepresentative reviews.
Replying to reviews adds another layer. Prospects see how your team handles problems, which can matter as much as the star rating itself.
How to do it
- Claim your profiles. Find your listings on the review sites relevant to your category and claim them. Add a clear description, screenshots, pricing information and the categories you belong in.
- Learn each site’s rules. Read the review guidelines on every platform. They differ on what you may offer, how you can ask and whether you can filter who gets asked.
- Pick the right moments to ask. Ask after a clear success, such as finishing onboarding, reaching a milestone, renewing or giving a high satisfaction score. Customers who just got value are more likely to write something useful.
- Ask everyone consistently. Send review requests to all customers who reach a given moment, without filtering out the ones you think are unhappy. Selective asking skews your profile and can break platform rules.
- Make it easy. Send a short, personal email with a direct link to the review form. Suggest a few prompts, such as what they used before and what changed, without telling them what to say.
- Reply to every review. Thank reviewers for positive feedback with something specific. For negative reviews, acknowledge the issue and offer a way to resolve it. Keep the tone calm.
- Use reviews across your funnel. Embed approved review widgets or quotes on your pricing and product pages, and share relevant reviews with sales for objection handling.
- Feed insights back. Tag recurring complaints and praise, and share them with product and support teams each month.
Example
A hypothetical project management SaaS company finds that its G2 profile has only a handful of reviews, most from years ago. The team claims the profile, adds current screenshots and starts sending a review request to every customer thirty days after their team reaches a set usage milestone. The customer success team replies to every new review within a few days. Over the following quarters, the profile fills with recent reviews that mention newer features, and sales reps start linking to specific reviews when prospects raise concerns.
A D2C bedding brand could run the same play on Trustpilot, sending a review request a few weeks after delivery so customers have slept on the product.
Metrics to track
- Number of new reviews per month. A steady flow matters more than a one-time spike.
- Average rating and recent trend. Watch for drops that point to product or service issues.
- Response rate and time. Aim to reply to every review, especially negative ones, promptly.
- Referral traffic from review sites. Track visits and sign-ups that come from your profiles.
- Mentions in the buying process. Ask new customers whether they read reviews and where.
When it backfires
- Fake or bought reviews. According to the FTC’s 2024 announcement, its final rule bans fake reviews and incentives conditioned on a review being positive or negative. Platforms also remove suspicious reviews and may flag your profile.
- Review gating. Only asking customers you know are happy can break platform policies and makes your profile less believable.
- Arguing with critics. Defensive public replies look worse than the original complaint.
- Asking too early. Requests sent before customers have used the product produce vague or negative reviews.
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Questions people ask
Can I offer a reward for leaving a review?
Rules differ by site and by country. Each review platform publishes its own guidelines, and in the US the FTC's rule bans rewards that depend on the review being positive or negative. Read the platform's policy before offering anything, and never ask only happy customers in exchange for a gift.
Which review sites should I focus on?
The ones your buyers check. B2B software buyers often look at sites such as G2 and Capterra, while consumers buying from online stores may check Trustpilot or reviews on marketplaces. Ask recent customers where they looked before buying.
How should I respond to a negative review?
Reply politely and quickly, acknowledge the problem, explain what you are doing about it and offer a direct way to follow up. Avoid arguing in public. Future buyers read your reply as much as the review.